System and method for improving client response times using an integrated security and packet optimization framework

Abstract

A system and method for providing integrated secured and optimized packet messaging is described. A plurality of request packets staged in a packet queue from a requesting client and specifying content for retrieval from a destination server are categorized. The content is retrieved from the destination server. The retrieved content is optimized for at least one such request packet. The retrieved content is exchanged as secure content protected using a cipher negotiated with the requesting client for at least one such request packet.

1 . A system for improving client response times using an integrated security and packet optimization framework, comprising: 
 an application executing within an application layer and exchanging messaging packets with a peer application in accordance with an end-to-end application protocol;    a security and packet optimization framework providing communicatively interposed between the application and peer application, comprising: 
 a transport module executing within a transport layer and providing reliable messaging packet exchange with a peer transport module in accordance with an end-to-end transport protocol;  
 a secure server module executing within a security layer interposed between the application layer and the transport layer and selectively exchanging secure records containing the messaging packets with a peer secure server module in accordance with an end-to-end security protocol; and  
   an acceleration module executing within the application layer and selectively optimizing content embedded with the messaging packets.    
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a prioritize module prioritizing the exchanging of the messaging packets based on characteristics pertaining to the peer application and connection channel thereto.    
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 2 , wherein each such messaging packet requires at least one of secure record exchange and content delivery from a higher priority server are assigned a higher priority.  
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a redirection submodule requesting redirection of a messaging packet request to an alternate port supporting at least one of secure and non-secure message exchange.    
   
   
       5 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an optimize module compressing content embedded within at least one such messaging packet and transforming content embedded within at least one such messaging packet.    
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a cache staging content embedded within at least one such messaging packet.    
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a secure handshake module negotiating cipher, authentication and key information between the secure server module and the peer secure server module prior to exchanging the secure records.    
   
   
       8 . A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the secure server module is authenticated to the peer secure server module.  
   
   
       9 . A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the peer secure server module is authenticated to the secure server module.  
   
   
       10 . A system according to  claim 7 , wherein the cipher, authentication and key information negotiation is performed in accordance with the SSL Handshake Protocol.  
   
   
       11 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a secure record module encrypting each outgoing such secure records and decrypting each incoming such secure records using a symmetric cipher.    
   
   
       12 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein each outgoing such messaging packet is fragmented and a message authentication code is generated over each outgoing such fragment; and each incoming such fragment is authenticated using the message authentication code and each incoming such message packet is reassembled.  
   
   
       13 . A system according to  claim 11 , wherein the encryption and decryption is performed in accordance with the SSL Record Protocol.  
   
   
       14 . A method for improving client response times using an integrated security and packet optimization framework, comprising: 
 executing an application within an application layer and exchanging messaging packets with a peer application in accordance with an end-to-end application protocol;    providing a security and packet optimization framework communicatively interposed between the application and peer application, comprising: 
 executing a transport module within a transport layer and providing reliable messaging packet exchange with a peer transport module in accordance with an end-to-end transport protocol;  
 executing a secure server module within a security layer interposed between the application layer and the transport layer and selectively exchanging secure records containing the messaging packets with a peer secure server module in accordance with an end-to-end security protocol; and  
 executing an acceleration module within the application layer and selectively optimizing content embedded with the messaging packets.  
   
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 prioritizing the exchanging of the messaging packets based on characteristics pertaining to the peer application and connection channel thereto.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 assigning a higher priority to each such messaging packet requiring at least one of secure record exchange and content delivery from a higher priority server.    
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 requesting redirection of a messaging packet request to an alternate port supporting at least one of secure and non-secure message exchange.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 compressing content embedded within at least one such messaging packet; and    transforming content embedded within at least one such messaging packet.    
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 staging content embedded within at least one such messaging packet.    
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 negotiating cipher, authentication and key information between the secure server module and the peer secure server module prior to exchanging the secure records.    
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 authenticating the secure server module to the peer secure server module.    
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 authenticating the peer secure server module to the secure server module.    
   
   
       23 . A method according to  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 performing the cipher, authentication and key information negotiation in accordance with the SSL Handshake Protocol.    
   
   
       24 . A method according to  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 encrypting each outgoing such secure records and decrypting each incoming such secure records using a symmetric cipher.    
   
   
       25 . A method according to  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 fragmenting each outgoing such messaging packet and generating a message authentication code over each outgoing such fragment; and    authenticating each incoming such fragment using the message authentication code and reassembling each incoming such message packet.    
   
   
       26 . A method according to  claim 11 , further comprising: 
 performing the encryption and decryption in accordance with the SSL Record Protocol.    
   
   
       27 . A computer-readable storage medium holding code for performing the method according to  claim 14.